Reamer



C. E. REED Oct. 27, 1936.

' REAMER Filed Aug. 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 27, 1936' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REAMER Application August 15,

15 Claims.

The invention is-designed to provide an enlarging bit for enlarging the hole made by an earth boring drill.-

' The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

' In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus with parts insection. I

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view partly in section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the spindle and cutter assemblies omitted.

Fig. 2a is a top plan view of the head.

Fig. 3 is a side viewpf the bit head slightly turned from the position of Fig. 1 and. with the spindle and cutter assemblies omitted.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a cutter spindle and its carrier bracket or support.

29 Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a face view of the spindle and its support looking from the left of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of a thrust plate.

Fig. 8 is a central vertical sectional view taken in a diametrical plane of the axis of the appliance.

In these drawings a. is the body portion of the enlarging bit or head. It has an upper substantially cylindrical portion l which is screw threaded internally for attachment to the drill stem or pipe. It has at its lower end an externally screw.

threaded portion as at 3 for attachment to a drill.

Extending laterally from an intermediate zone of the body are protuberant portions comprising arms or flanges l, 4. These are recessed at 4a. These arms are bifurcated at their lower ends presenting downwardly and outwardly extending forked formations 5, the arms of which are continuations of the arms 4, 4 and the spaces between the sides of the forked formations" being .continuations of the recesses between the said arms or flanges 4, 4.

These forks and the flanges of which the-forks form extensions overhang the main body of the tool. They lie outwardly in respect tothe side of the main body of the tool, and their general relation to the main body is at an outward and downward inclination.

The forks present on their sides or edges which will be notedthat the face lb lies out beyond the 1934, Serial No. 739,971

construction of which there are. three spaced 120 apart around the bit head or body.

These cutters are mounted on spindles, one of which is shown at III, the axis of which extends outwardly and upwardly in respect .to the vertical axis of the bit head. The spindle is integral with itssupport or carrier which comprises in addition to the flange 1 above mentioned, a body portion la. having its .outer face 1bat a sharp inclination to the plane in which the base flange 10 '5 lies so that when the support is mounted in the fork 5 overhanging the side of the body of the bit head, the flange will bear on the inclined inner surface or edge of the fork while the outer edge or face 112 of the support will extend sub- 15 stantially vertically and parallel with the wall of the bore hole being drilled. The outer edge or face So of the overhanging fork also extends vertically parallel with the outer face lb of the bracket or support for the roller cutter, but it face So and the adjacent part of the body of the cutter support or bracket serves as a guard to take wear that otherwise would be imposed on the fork member itself. The lower end of the body la also projects below the lower end of the fork and thus protects it from wear. The carrier or support la for the spindle has a shank To which extends upwardly from the body. portion substantiallyparallel with the plane in which 30 the flange i lies, or in other words this shank extends at right angles to the axis of the spindle.

It rests in the recess 4a between the flanges or arms extending laterally beyond the side of the body ofthe bit head and the said shank is held 35 in place desirably by welding as indicated at b, Fig. 1. The shank projects slightly as at Id beyond the outer edges of the arms or-flanges of the head, it being understood that the carrier bracket may be renewed by cutting out the weld 40 with a suitable torch. By reason of the construction described, involving the laterally protuberant arms with its flanges and the forks overhanging the side of the bit head body, the bracket when in place, together with the welded,joint 45 thereof, is exposed laterally of the bit head and is thus readily accessible. The shank portion of the spindle carrying bracket is of less width than the diameter of flange I so that said flange finds a bearing against the inner side of the arms 5 or forks 5 to take the radial thrusts and also to some extent the upthrusts. The latter thrusts, however, are taken mainly by the shoulder 1c of the bracket, which shoulder bears upon a shoulder ll located at thebase of the fork arms protuberances from the bit head. Ball bearings I2 are employed between the roller cutters 8 and the spindle, and roller bearings l3 are'used between said spindle and the other cutter 9. In order to support the inner end Illa of the spindle a thrust plate 14 receives the spindle end Illa.

which latter is of smaller diameter than the.

main part of the spindle, thus presenting a thrust shoulder at lilb.

This thrust plate has a portion Ma which fits into the open side of the adjacent cutter and provides a closure at this point for the raceway of the anti-friction rollers.

The other side of the raceway is provided flange 8a of the roller cutter 8.

The thrust plate is welded to the main body portion of the bit head.

The construction disclosed herein enables the spindle and cutter assembly to be handled as one unit in connecting the same with the head or removing it therefrom. That is to say, the spindle with its bracket, the roller cutter means, and the thrust plate are all assembled while apart from the bit head and are then placed in connection therewith as one body, preferably by welding.

As before stated, there are three such'units. They are placed 120 apart around the bit head. Their cutters track each other and enlarge the hole cut by another drill organization whether this be an entirely separate drill or a drill mounted on the same drill stem or pipe in advance of the said enlarging drill.

The drill has a central bore for the passage of flushing fluid, and suitable ports leadoff from this bore to distribute the said fluid to the cutters. One of these ports is shown at .B.

The weld which holds the thrust plate to the bit head can be cut out by a torch so that the cutter assembly can be removed from the bit head.

The ball bearings are of comparatively large size. They take drilling loads and end thrusts. They bear on the base flanges of the spindles as well as on the spindles themselves.

The roller bearings take thrusts imposed radially of the cutter axis They are not intended toytake end thrusts imposed parallel with the cutter axis.

The body of the bit head has an inclined face la against which the thrust block bears.

The downwardly and outwardly extending protuberances or arms of which the flanges 4, 4 form a part are braced or reinforced by weblike formations l5b which flare outwardly and downwardly from the body of the tool. These webs or reinforcements for the overhanging arms by a are integral with the body of the tool and lie between the spaced apart arms.

These webs are integrally united with arms more particularly at the lower forked ends of said arms. These web-like reinforcing formations are connected at their portions lying midway of the spaces between the arms'or protuberances with ribs 15a forming integral down- .ward extension of the said webs, said ribs being integrally connected with the body portion of the tool. The web formation is formed with recesses or arches I5d through which recesses the roller cutters project as shown in Fig. 1. This construction just described provides an enlargement intermediate the upper and lower ends of the comparatively small diameter main body portion, which enlargement is of the general shape of a frustum of a cone, the side of which is slabbed oif presenting vertically disposed flat surfaces 15c. Viewed in plan view, Figs. 2 and 2a the webs are slightly concaved in shape, leaving the overhanging forked arms, the parts with the maximum protrusion from the vertical axis of the drill. These webs not only brace the forked arms, but they-leave ample clearance space between the tool and the. side of the hole, for flow of flushing fluid. The cutters are preferably frusto-conical with their projected apices beyond the vertical axis of the drill. The outer edges of the webs, Figs. 2, 2a, are virtually chords of arcs of a circle touching the outer ends of the protuberant arms.

I claim:

1. A hole enlarging bit head for drilling wells comprising a central body having a plurality of arms spaced apart around'said body and inclining downwardly and outwardly beyond said central body, said arms having recessed seats for roller cutter supports, and webs disposed outwardly from said central body and extending between and connecting the arms.

2. A bit head according to claim 1 in which the webs extend outwardly from the bit head to a point to connect the outermost ends of the arms.

3. A hole enlarging bit head according to claim 1 in which the web between "adjacent arms is connected with a rib arranged intermediate the adjacent arms, said rib being connected with and projecting outwardly from the central body of the drill.

4. An enlarging bit for drilling wells comprising a body with a plurality of outwardly and downwardly projecting arms with a laterally open recess in each arm, a rotary toothed cutter for each arm and a support for each rotary cutter comprising a spindle on which the cutter is mounted, and a shank inclining upwardly and inwardly towards the vertical axis of the bit, and

secured in the laterally open recess of the arm,

said cutters tracking each other over an annular path adjacent the side of the bore hole and outwardly from a bore hole of smaller diameter previously formed, said cutters being mounted laterally in respect to the body of the bit, substantially as described. 4

5. An earth boring tool of the character dethe body of the bit, a plurality of roller cutterson the spindle arranged side by side and contacting each other, roller bearings between the innermost cutter and the spindle and ball bearings of comparatively large diameter between the outermost cutter and the spindle and its support, said ballbearings taking the end thrust of the cutters, substantially as described.

6. A bit head comprising a main central body having spaced apart protuberances extending laterally beyond the sides of said body and inclining downwardly, and terminating at their lower outer ends inforked portions, said protuberances having exteriorly open recesses extending at an up- Ward, and inward inclination towards the vertical wards the vertical axis of the head, and having.

their outermost faces extending substantially vertically, the bottom of the exterior recesses in the protuberanoes also inclining upwardly and inwardly towards the vertical axis of the drill.

'7. A spindle for 'a roller cutter of an earth boring drill having a base flange, a portion of a ball bearing raceway partly on said spindle and partly on said flange, a body portion integral with said base flange and beyond the sides of which the base flange extends, and a shank extending from said body portion parallel with the plane in which the base flange lies at right angles to the axis of said spindle.

8. A spindle according to claim '7 in which the outer face of the body portion extends at an inclination to the said shank and flange and extends between the two, substantially as described.

9. A spindle according to claim 7 in which the body portion has a thrust shoulder lying in a plane parallel with the axis of the spindle and between the plane of the flange and the shank, substantially as described.

10. A hole enlarging bit comprising a body having laterally extending portions from which roller cutter unit assemblies are suspended below and rigidly held by said portions and positioned outwardly from said main body, spindles mounting in said assemblies roller cutter means and roller bearings between said laterally extending portions and the body of the bit, said spindles having flanges and shanks engaging said laterally extending portions, reinforcing webs connecting said portions with the main body intermediate the assemblies, a thrust plate at the free end of each spindle anchored to the body exteriorly thereof, each spindle extending at an inclination downwardly and inwardly in respect to the vertical axis of the bit and positioned exteriorly of said body, the body of said bit having an inclined surface in a plane at right angles to the spindle axis for seating each thrust plate, said thrust plates furnishing a bearing for the end of each spindle, for the ends of the roller bearings and for a cutter and supported on the said inclined surface of the bit body.

11. A hole enlarging bit comprising a main body having laterally and downwardly projecting portions overhanging its side, said portions being reinforced laterally thereof by flaring webs connecting said portions with bulging, integral, bridging sections of thebody positioned intermediate said portions and said sections connecting the upper and lower ends of said body, spindles supported exteriorly of said body by said overhanging portions, and roller cutter means on said spindles cutting an annular path inclined to the axis of the body.

12. A hole enlarging bit comprising a main body having laterally and downwardly projecting portions overhanging its side, said portions being reinforced laterally thereof by flaring webs connecting said portions with the body intermediate said portions, spindles supported .exteriorly of said body by said overhanging portions, and roller cutter means on said spindles cutting an annular path inclined to the axis of the body.

13. A hole enlarging bit according to claim 12, the roller cutter means in sections, roller bearings between one section and the spindle and ball bearings between another section and the spindle and also contacting a bearing area positioned on the spindle support taking end thrusts of the cutter means.

14. A bit head for a bore hole enlarging tool' comprising a central body portion having three arms spaced120 degrees apart around the periphery of the bit head, said arms projecting downwardly and outwardly from said central body and forming cutter receiving recesses between the overhanging arms and the lower part of the body portion, said arms having seat recesses formed therein for receiving roller cutter supports, and webs disposed outwardly from said central body and extending between and connecting the outer portions of the arms to each other and to the body to brace the arms.

15. An enlarging bit comprising a substantially cylindrical body portion, arms projecting outwardly and downwardly therefrom and overhanging the lower part of said body portion, said arms being three in number spaced 120 degrees apart about the body, the width of the arms at their outer faces being considerably less than the distance between the arms measured along the chords extending between them, said arms being recessed, and roller cutter supports having shanks held in the recesses of the arms and having roller cutter spindles extending from their lower ends downwardly and inwardly towards the body and webs extending from the body and connecting with the outer ends of the arms there being spaces above the Webs and between the upper ends of the arms, substantially as described.

CLARENCE E. REED. 

